Cytokines and chemokines induce the migration, activation, proliferation, and/or differentiation of inflammatory cells and resident cells, and participate in the pathogenesis of some autoimmune diseases. Some of these molecules are effective therapeutic targets. Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and anti-interleukin (IL)-6 therapies are effective in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and have...

The chemokines comprise a rapidly expanding group of chemotactic cytokines now known to play a critical role in regulating leukocyte trafficking during development and in homeostasis, inflammation, and infection. In the brief period since the original description of platelet factor 4 (PF4) (1) and interferon-inducible protein of 10 kDa (IP-10) (2) this family has grown to more than 50 members. ...

BACKGROUND The role of different chemokine receptors in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been extensively investigated; however, little is known about the difference in the role of chemokine receptors between the pathogenesis of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and MS. Therefore, we examined the expression of chemokine receptors on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in MS and NMO. ME...

An intact chemotactic response is vital for leukocyte trafficking and host defense. Opiates are known to exert a number of immunomodulating effects in vitro and in vivo, and we sought to determine whether they were capable of inhibiting chemokine-induced directional migration of human leukocytes, and if so, to ascertain the mechanism involved. The endogenous opioid met-enkephalin induced monocy...

Cytokine and chemokine gradients are central to the directed movement of cells in both homeostatic and pathological processes. Most cancers have a complex chemokine network which can influence immune responses to the tumor, direct the extent and cellular composition of the leukocyte infiltrate and also play a role in angiogenesis. Tumor cells can also hijack the chemokine system and gain expres...

It is clear from large clinical studies that selected chemokine receptors are often up-regulated in a large number of common human cancers, including those of the breast, lung, prostate, colon, and melanoma. Chemokine receptors and their corresponding chemokine ligands have been demonstrated to play a number of nonredundant roles in cancer metastasis to vital organs as well as regional lymph no...

Chemokines are small peptides that are potent activators and chemoattractants for leukocyte subpopulations and some nonhemopoietic cells. Their actions are mediated by a family of 7-transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptors, the size of which has grown considerably in recent years and now includes 18 members. Chemokine receptor expression on different cell types and their binding and response t...

The role of chemokines and their receptors have been identified in many biological activities such as immune response and angiogenesis; however, their regulatory ways are under investigation. In recent years, homologous proteins’ typical chemokine receptors have been identified. Despite the structural similarity due to changes in a particular motif, they are not able to create signals through G...

Chemokines and chemokine receptors interaction have presented important role in leukocyte migration to specific immune reaction sites. Recently, it has been reported that chemokine receptors CXC (CXCR3) and CC (CCR5) were preferentially expressed on Th1 cells while CCR3 and CCR4 were preferentially expressed on Th2 cells. This study evaluated the mRNA expression of type 1 and type 2 chemokine a...

The HIV-1 envelope protein gp120 induces apoptosis in hippocampal neurons. Because chemokine receptors act as cellular receptors for HIV-1, we examined rat hippocampal neurons for the presence of functional chemokine receptors. Fura-2-based Ca imaging showed that numerous chemokines, including SDF-1alpha, RANTES, and fractalkine, affect neuronal Ca signaling, suggesting that hippocampal neurons...